‘VERY EMOTIONAL’

Widow of Only NFL Player to Die Mid-Game Opens Up After Damar Hamlin’s Collapse

The Detroit Lions wide receiver was the first and, to date, only NFL player to die on the field after collapsing during a 1971 game.

The collapse of Damar Hamlin, a 24-year-old safety for the Buffalo Bills, shocked and horrified not only his teammates and fans but also Sharon Hughes, the widow of the first and, to date, only NFL player to die on the field. In 1971, Detroit Lions wide receiver Chuck Hughes suffered a fatal heart attack with 62 seconds left in a game against the Chicago Bears. Speaking to NBC News on Tuesday, Sharon Hughes said that Hamlin’s case had brought painful memories rushing back. “I was very emotional,” she said, adding, “Can you imagine how his mother felt? It’s a horrifying feeling and, well, I just felt so sorry for the whole family last night.” After his collapse, Chuck Hughes was transported off the field and the game was finished. An autopsy would later discover that Hughes, 28, had had undiagnosed heart disease and a blood clot that might have been dislodged by a hit he took on the field. But Sharon told NBC that she blamed genetics for her husband’s death. “You can’t blame football,” she said. “I never did.”